Printing apparatus, control method for a printing apparatus, and recording medium for recording a control program for a printing apparatus

Abstract

A printer and control method therefor for printing to a specific location on an inserted form whether the form is loaded automatically or manually in the printer. When a specific command is received from a host, the printer selects the insertion operation used for the printing form. If automatic loading is selected, the leading edge of the form is set to a specific position in the printer by a form transportation mechanism, and printing then begins. If manually positioned form insertion is selected, printing begins directly with the printing form as inserted and positioned by the user.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A control method for controlling a printing apparatus comprising an interface for communicating with a host device, a detector for detecting the presence of a cut-sheet form, a transport mechanism for transporting a cut-sheet form, and a printing unit for printing to a cut-sheet form, said control method comprising the steps of: 
       receiving one of print data and the print command from a host device;  
       detecting the presence of a cut-sheet form;  
       positioning the leading edge of an inserted cut-sheet form to a specific position by transporting and detecting the cut-sheet form;  
       printing to the cut-sheet form according to one of received print data and the received print command; and  
       skipping the printing form positioning step according to a specific command from the host device.  
     
     
       2. The printing apparatus control method according to claim  1 , further comprising the step of: 
       storing a setting controlling whether the printing form positioning step is to be skipped.  
     
     
       3. The printing apparatus control method according to claim  1 , 
       wherein when the positioning step is set to be skipped and the form detecting step detects that a cut-sheet form is not present, the positioning step is executed.  
     
     
       4. A medium readable by a machine embodying a program of instructions executable by said machine to perform a method for controlling a printing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: 
       receiving one of print data and a print command from a host device;  
       detecting the presence of a cut-sheet form;  
       positioning the leading edge of an inserted cut-sheet form to a specific position by transporting and detecting the cut-sheet form;  
       printing to the cut-sheet form according to one of received print data and the received print command; and  
       skipping the printing form positioning step according to a specific command from the host device.  
     
     
       5. The medium according to claim  4 , wherein the method for controlling the printing apparatus further comprises: 
       storing a setting controlling whether the printing form positioning step is to be skipped.  
     
     
       6. The medium according to claim  4 , 
       wherein when the positioning step is set to be skipped and the form detecting step detects that a cut-sheet form is not present, the positioning step is executed.